Chapter Text
It was a dark, and he stood in the middle of a vacant field. Everything looked black, even the ground. Ryo stood in the middle of this desolate field in his armor. He heard evil cackling and his blood chilled. He knew that laugh, he didn’t know how he knew it but he did.
Ryo's heart pounded against his chest as he strained his eyes to pierce the oppressive darkness surrounding him. The air felt thick with an unsettling energy, and the sinister laughter echoed ominously, bouncing off the invisible barriers of the shadowy expanse. Every instinct urged him to prepare for confrontation, but the source of the laughter remained elusive, hidden within the cloak of night. His armor, though a testament to his strength and readiness, felt heavy under the weight of the unknown threat looming in the darkness. With each chilling cackle, memories flickered at the edge of his consciousness, teasing him with fragments of a past he couldn't fully remember. Yet, deep within his core, he knew that this confrontation was inevitable, and he steeled himself for whatever lay ahead, determined to face the shadowy figure with courage and resolve. “Welcome home, Ryo of the Wildfire!” a voice boomed. Suddenly, a large sword swung in his direction.
Ryo woke up with a gasp, jerking up in his bed. His heart continued to race as he tried to shake off the remnants of the dream, or rather, nightmare, that clung to him like a shadow. The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the moon filtering through the curtains, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness of the dream world.
Ryo ran a hand through his damp hair, attempting to calm the adrenaline coursing through his veins. That voice, the laughter—it all felt so real, as if it were a memory rather than a figment of his imagination. He glanced around his room, reassuring himself of the mundane reality surrounding him, but the sense of foreboding lingered. He looked over to see White Blaze by his bed, his large head resting on his knee. “Hey, buddy,” he said, scratching his head, “It was just a dream.” At least he hoped it was only a dream.
Unbeknownst to Ryo, the shared experience of his friends added a chilling layer to the mystery. Each of them had awoken with the same haunting echoes of laughter, the same feeling of an unseen presence looming over them.
Cye sat up in bed, the sheets tangled around him as he tried to shake off the remnants of the dream.
Rowen, wide-eyed and alert, paced his room, his mind racing with questions.
Sage, usually the calmest of the group, found himself unnerved, his usual meditative poise disrupted by the unsettling visions as he sat by his window.
Kento, ever the skeptic, brushed it off as a coincidence but couldn’t deny the uncanny similarity of their experiences.
As dawn began to break, the friends silently acknowledged the need to come together, to decipher the meaning behind the shared nightmare that bound them in ways they had yet to understand.
The next morning, Ryo walked up with his backpack over his shoulder to see his friends standing in their usual spot outside of school looking just as exhausted as him. “Don’t tell me,” he said.
“Strange dreams of laughter and huge weapons getting swung at our heads?” Rowen asked.
“We all had it,” Sage said.
Ryo nodded, feeling a chill creep down his spine. "It felt so real," he admitted, remembering the vivid details of his dream. The laughter had been eerily maniacal, echoing in his mind even now.
Cye, leaning against the wall, looked just as unsettled. "I woke up in a cold sweat," he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It’s like we were all in the same place, dealing with the same nightmare, but yet none of us were in the same place."
Kento crossed his arms and muttered, "This can’t just be a coincidence, right?" The group exchanged worried glances, silently wondering if these dreams were a mere figment of their imaginations or a forewarning of something more sinister.
“Has anyone tried to go to Amadeus to see what he had to say?” Cye asked.
“I went to our usual place this morning, but he wasn’t there,” Sage replied.
“That’s…unusual,” Rowen said.
Ryo nodded in agreement. “Hey!” they heard Serena call out.
“We don’t tell them anything,” Ryo said, his voice low. The other four nodded in agreement as the girls rushed up.
“You’re all really early,” Lita commented. Sage, putting on his best smile, wrapped his arm around Lita’s waist.
Mina stood in front of Kento and she frowned when she saw the dark circles under his eyes. “Rinfi had a nightmare last night,” he said.
Mina frowned and looked at the girls who were also confused by their boyfriends’ behavior. The bell rang and they went their separate ways.
After school, Sage was at the dojo practicing. Class had long since ended, but he insisted on staying behind. He couldn’t shake the nightmare, it haunted him like a shadow. He had long discarded his bamboo sword and called on his Sword of Halo, using that to fight his invisible enemies. When he swung around with his weapon in hand, the blade crashed into another and he saw Lita standing there holding one of the other metal swords. Sage's heart skipped a beat as he locked eyes with Lita, her expression a mix of determination and concern. She had always been a formidable presence in the dojo, but seeing her now, mirroring his haunted intensity, was both a surprise and a comfort. "I thought I might find you here," she said, her voice steady yet gentle.
“I thought you had study group with the girls,” he said as he held his hands up and his sword disappeared in a bright light.
“That was an hour ago. Yayoi said you hadn’t come home yet,” she replied, “And I know when you’re stressed out this is where you’ll be.” Sage grabbed a towel off the bench and wiped his face. “Want to talk to me about what’s going on or am I going to have to start guessing?” she asked.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he answered.
She crossed her arms, not buying his dismissal for a moment. "You know that line never works with me.” Sage let out a breath and she walked over to her boyfriend, resting her hand in the middle of his back. “Talk to me,” she insisted gently, “Since when have you started keeping secrets from me?”
He hesitated, glancing at her with a mix of reluctance and vulnerability in his eyes. The room was filled with a silence that seemed to amplify the tension between them. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair in defeat. "It's not that I'm keeping secrets," he began slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, "it's just... complicated."
“Try me,” she answered. He looked away, gathering his thoughts before meeting her gaze again.
“I had this dream last night…I was in this dark cave at least I think it was a cave,” he replied as he sat down on the bench, “And I was alone, and it felt so cold. Like the darkness sucked even the heat out of the ground.”
She listened intently, her curiosity piqued by the vulnerability in his confession. The room's quiet seemed to wrap around them, creating a cocoon of intimacy that made his words feel even more significant. "Go on," she encouraged, her voice gentle but firm, urging him to continue.
He hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his next words with care. "In the dream, I was searching for something," he continued, his eyes distant as if he were still trying to grasp the fading remnants of the dream. "But the more I searched, the more lost I felt. It was like the darkness was alive, shifting and whispering around me, making it impossible to find my way out. Then I heard this laughter…this deep guttural laughter. A sword comes swinging out of nowhere and I wake up.”
Lita stood in front of him, her fingers stroked through his hair. “Maybe it was only a dream,” she suggested.
“The last time I had a dream like this it was right before I got my armor and my memories of us in the Moon Kingdom back,” he replied.
. "Do you think it means something this time too?" she asked, her tone a delicate blend of curiosity and caution.
Sage nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I think it might," he admitted, "but I don't know what yet.” Lita gently squeezed his shoulder, offering silent support. Sage stood up and they stared into each other’s eyes. “Whatever it is, we might need to do this without you and the girls.”
“No,” she answered.
“Lita…” Sage started.
“No,” she said firmly, “Wherever you go, I go.” Sage let out a breath, and she wrapped her arms around his back. He hugged her back, resting his cheek on top of her head.
Cye stood by the docks, the salty breeze tousling his hair as he stared intently at the vast, undulating expanse of the ocean. The rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore did little to soothe the turmoil within him. His mind was a cacophony of unsettling images and emotions, remnants of the nightmare that had plagued him the previous night. He held his armor orb in his hand and it seemed to glow brightly. “Since when have you avoided me?” a voice asked softly. He looked over to see Ami walking up.
“I’m not,” he answered.
“You normally wait for me outside the library, you weren’t today,” Ami replied, setting her bag by the bench.
“How did you find me here?” he asked.
Ami smiled gently, her eyes reflecting the shimmering ocean. "I knew you'd be where you find peace," she replied, her voice almost a whisper against the wind. "The sea has always been your sanctuary." Cye nodded, acknowledging the truth in her words, but his gaze remained fixed on the horizon. Ami walked up to him, her hand went through his auburn hair. “Talk to me?” she asked gently.
Cye let out a breath and put his armor orb back in his pocket. “It was just a dream,” he said.
“If it was just a dream you wouldn’t be out here trying to get answers,” Ami said. He closed his eyes and looked over at her.
“It might be nothing,” he said.
“It might be a lot of things,” Ami answered.
Cye couldn’t help but chuckle at his girlfriend’s logic and sighed as he turned to hold her hands. “I was in the ocean, but it wasn’t calm like it normally would be, if anything it was turning into like a thick substance. Almost tar like,” he said. Ami listened to him, her thumbs traced circles into his hands. "It felt... suffocating," he admitted, "like I was being pulled down, unable to swim. Then I heard this…this laughter. Almost like a cackle and it wasn’t just one sword it was at least three flying in my direction as the laughter echoed behind it. Then I woke up.”
Ami gave his hands a squeeze. “Do you think it has something to do with our pasts?” she asked.
“Maybe…” he replied, “The last time I had a dream like this was before Queen Beryl and Metalia started attacking the city.”
“Do you think there’s danger coming here again?” she asked.
“Not here,” he replied, “Wherever this enemy is…it’s not a threat to Tokyo…at least not yet.”
Ami frowned and Cye released her hands. “Whatever we find out, I want you to stay here where it’s safe,” he said.
“No,” she said almost immediately, surprising him.
“Ami it can be too dangerous,” he answered.
Ami shook her head, determination gleaming in her eyes. "Cye, we've faced dangers together before, and I refuse to just sit back and wait this time," she insisted.
“I can’t lose you,” he answered.
Ami placed a reassuring hand on Cye's shoulder, her voice firm yet gentle. "You won't lose me, Cye. We're a team, and I can't stand by while you take all the risks. We've always been stronger together." Cye studied her face, seeing the unwavering resolve etched into her features. He let out a sigh and they embraced. Ami hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder.
Kento was at the gym really taking his frustrations out on the nearest punching bag. He was the last person there as everyone else went home for the day. Yet with every punch, it did nothing for his growing frustrations. Kento was a whirlwind of motion, each punch a desperate attempt to release the storm building within him. The gym echoed with the rhythmic thuds as his fists made contact, but the punching bag offered no solace, only a brief respite from his inner turmoil. The dim lights cast long shadows, mirroring the tension that seemed to cling to the air around him. As sweat dripped from his brow, Kento's mind raced, cycling through the day's events that had led him to this point of agitation. The solitude of the empty gym offered no answers, only the hollow sound of his own breathing mingling with the relentless strikes. Despite his physical exhaustion, the emotional weight remained unchanged, a testament to the complexity of his frustrations that punching alone could not dispel. “Did the bag owe you money or something?” Mina asked as she walked up.
Kento stopped for only a second. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Your mom called asking if you were with me,” Mina replied, “It’s not like you to not answer her calls and I figured since the arcade is closed by now you’d be here.”
Kento sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at the punching bag as if it held all the answers to his unspoken questions. "I just needed to clear my head," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration.
“Whatever you’re trying to do, it’s not working and it’s really bothering you,” Mina said. She touched his shoulder but he pulled his arm away. “Babe, talk to me,” she said firmly, “I know you have a hothead but you never avoid me.”
Kento hesitated, feeling the warmth of Mina's concerned gaze. He knew she was right; he couldn't keep bottling up his emotions and pretending everything was fine. “It was just a dream,” he muttered.
“Obviously not,” Mina replied. Her voice was gentle yet insistent, urging him to open up.
Kento sighed, running a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words. "It felt so real," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. Mina sat on the weight bench, waiting for him to continue. “I was in this fog…it was so dark like I couldn’t even see two feet in front of me. When I’d start walking through the fog, I’d start to see a clearing, and when I would run to it, it’d disappear and I’m back in a fog,” he explained. “Every time I thought I was getting closer to something...some kind of answer or peace, it just vanished," he continued, frustration creeping into his tone. "And there was this feeling of being chased, like something was always lurking just out of sight, waiting for me to let my guard down. I heard laughter and when I turned around, six scythes came flying at my head.”
Mina stared at him and stood up. “It sounds terrifying,” she said.
“And it was as real as you’re standing in front of me,” he replied as she moved her hands over his arms. He took a deep breath, seeking to anchor himself in the present moment in the reality where Mina's comforting presence was tangible. “It’s hard to shake off the feeling that it meant something. Like a warning or a message I can't quite grasp,” he said his voice steadier now.
“Didn’t Amadeus say your armor will warn you?” Mina suggested.
Kento nodded his head slowly. “And whatever we have to do…I don’t want you to come with me,” he said.
“And you know I won’t let you go without me,” she answered.
“I won’t risk your life over something that has nothing to do with you,” he said firmly.
Mina's eyes softened, yet there was an undeniable resolve in her gaze. "Kento, everything you face affects me too. We're in this together, remember?" she insisted, her voice gentle but unyielding. Kento sighed, torn between his protective instincts and the undeniable truth that Mina was as much a part of his world as he was of hers.
Letting out a deep breath, he rested his forehead against hers. “I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to you,” he said.
Mina smiled softly, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. "And I won't forgive myself if I let you face it alone," she replied, her tone laced with determination. With a heavy sigh, Kento held her close and they stood in the middle of the gym holding onto each other.
In his apartment, Rowen had piles of books sitting on his table when he heard the buzzer go off on his apartment door. With a frown, he stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, he saw Serena standing there. “Serena,” he said surprised.
“Mom made some cookies, I thought I’d bring you some,” she said, holding up a paper bag.
“You came all the way across town to give me cookies?” he asked.
Serena’s cheeks flushed and she lowered the bag again. “No, I’m also here to ask you why you’ve been avoiding me all day,” she replied.
"I wasn't avoiding you," he said finally, a hint of guilt in his voice. "I've just been... really busy." Serena crossed her arms, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "Busy enough to ignore my calls? For you and the guys to sit on the other side of the yard from the girls and me during lunch?" she challenged, her tone softening as she added, "I was worried, Rowen."
Rowen hesitated, the words caught in his throat. The truth was, he'd had a nightmare that left him shaken—a vivid, unsettling vision that felt like more than just a bad dream. In it, Serena was in danger, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a warning of something real. "Look, it's complicated," he tried, running a hand through his hair.
“Too complicated to talk to me?” she answered. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door and let her in finally. Serena stepped inside and removed her shoes.
Rowen closed the door behind her, gathering his thoughts. The room felt heavier with the silence hanging between them, and he knew he owed her an explanation. "It's not that I didn't want to talk," he began, his eyes meeting hers with a mix of sincerity and fear. "I just didn’t know how to explain without sounding crazy."
Serena's eyes softened, and she took a step closer. "Try me," she encouraged gently.
Rowen took a deep breath, recounting the details of the nightmare that had haunted him since morning. “I was in this quarry….it was pitch black, blacker than the void that I was in when Metalia had me under her mind control. No matter where I went, my arms and legs were chained. I couldn’t move no matter what I did and when I’d use my armor to release me from these chains, three more would come out of the ground and wrap around me,” he explained. As he spoke, Serena listened intently, her concern growing with each word. Rowen paused, the memory of the nightmare still vivid in his mind. "And then," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "there was a voice. It was cold, like ice, and it kept repeating my name, then I’d hear laughter and this chain with a clawed end came flying out of the darkness and at my face.”
Serena walked over, her hands moved up his arms to his chest. “That’s horrible,” she said, “Do you think it means something?”
“A warning…maybe…we don’t know. We can’t even talk to Amadeus because he’s gone,” he replied.
“Where did he go?” Serena asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Rowen released her and walked away with his hands on his hips as he tried to gather his thoughts. Serena looked at his back as she waited for him to speak. He let out a shaky breath, attempting to pull his emotions back under control. “What I do know is this is more than likely a warning. That the guys and me will have to fight,” he replied. He turned to look over at her. “And you can’t come with me,” he said.
Serena's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and concern. "But Rowen, you can't face this alone," she protested, her voice laced with determination.
Rowen shook his head, a somber expression on his face. "I know you want to help, Serena, but this is something only we can do. It's dangerous, and I can't risk you getting hurt," he said, the weight of his words pressing down on both of them.
“No,” she answered walking over to him.
“Serena…” he started to say.
“You’re not doing this without me,” she answered. She reached for his hand, holding onto it tightly. “I’ve lost you before, I’m not losing you again.” He reached up with his free hand, resting it on the back of her head.
“It can be too dangerous, I might not be able to protect you and I vowed Queen Serenity in our past lives and in this life that I would keep you safe,” he said, “I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you.”
“I understand the risks,” she answered, her hands moving to his chest, “But I will never be able to go on with my life knowing you’re in danger. I won’t do it, Rowen. I will be by your side.” Rowen sighed, the tension in his shoulders softening as he gazed into Serena's determined eyes.
“You promise me, here and now, if anything to happen you will get yourself to safety,” he said, “Even if it means I don’t make it.”
Serena met Rowen's gaze with unwavering determination. “I promise to try, but you know I can't make a vow that I might not keep. My heart refuses to let you face this alone.” Rowen's heart swelled with a mixture of pride and fear. He let out a breath before leaning forward and kissing her. Serena kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as his arms moved around her waist.
At the shrine, Ryo was lost in his thoughts as he sat outside with White Blaze. The night was cool, but it did nothing to the warrior of Wildfire as he sat under a tree. His head was tilted back against the trunk, letting out a breath. “Do you forget that I get visions just like you?” Rei asked, making him look over at her.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he replied, standing up.
“Liar,” Rei answered.
Ryo shifted uneasily as he met Rei's gaze, her eyes seemingly piercing through his facade. The moonlight cast gentle shadows across the shrine’s grounds, creating an atmosphere of quiet introspection. White Blaze lay calmly beside him, seemingly attuned to the silent tension between the two. Ryo tried to mask the turmoil within, but Rei's perceptive nature was hard to evade. “You’ve been distant, Ryo. Something’s troubling you, and it’s clearer than the stars above,” Rei continued, her voice a blend of concern and knowing.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he answered.
“Again you’re lying,” she said.
“This time I’m not,” he said, staring at her, “What I’m seeing doesn’t deal with you.”
Rei approached her boyfriend. “Ryo, you know as well as I do that what affects you affects me too. I can feel how anxious you are,” she said.
Ryo hesitated, feeling the weight of Rei's words settle around him like the cool night air. He knew she was right; they had always shared an unspoken bond that transcended mere words. The nightmare had been haunting him for days—a shadowy figure, an unknown enemy whose presence loomed ominously in his dreams, leaving him with a lingering sense of dread. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, struggling to articulate the fear that gnawed at him. "It's just... this dream," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's this enemy, someone I can't recognize, but it feels so real. Every time I wake up, it's like I’ve already fought a battle."
“Are you sure it’s truly just a dream?” Rei asked.
He was silent for a moment longer. “No, I don’t,” he finally admitted.
Rei's eyes softened as she listened to Ryo's confession, understanding the vulnerability he had just exposed. She reached for his hand, her touch gentle but reassuring, bridging the gap between his unspoken fears and the comfort she desperately wanted to offer. “I’m worried that there’s an enemy…one that we might not be ready for, and we can’t even find out anything about these dreams because Amadeus is gone,” he said. Rei frowned and Ryo looked over at her. “I’m worried that what lays ahead has the power to destroy all the good in this world.”
“Then maybe we should find this enemy,” Rei said, “Stop him before he even makes it to this world.”
“It’s a great idea, but we don’t even know where to go,” Ryo replied, “And even if we did, you wouldn’t be coming along.”
“Excuse me?” Rei said in disbelief.
Ryo sighed, knowing this conversation was inevitable. "Rei, it's not that I doubt your abilities. You know how strong you are. But this is different," he explained, his voice layered with concern. "I can't risk putting you in harm's way. These dreams... they feel too real, too dangerous. I can't shake the feeling that it's trying to tell me something important, something that I alone have to face."
At that moment, Rei remembered her own nightmare weeks ago. Seeing Ryo in an armor she didn’t recognize, allowing the enemy to take possession of him as though he were a tool. “Then I’m definitely going with you,” she said.
Ryo looked at Rei, his resolve wavering in the face of her determination. “I can’t let anything happen to you,” he said.
“And I can’t let anything happen to you,” She said, gripping his hand, “I won’t let you do this alone and you know I won’t let you go without me.” Ryo let out a breath and he knew all too well that she was right. She hugged him tightly and he returned her embrace. “I love you and I’ll go anywhere with you.”
Ryo felt a mixture of relief and anxiety as he held Rei in his arms. Her presence was a comfort, a reminder of why he was fighting in the first place, but the thought of her being in danger was almost unbearable. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "This fight can be riskier than anything we've faced before, and I need you to promise me that you'll trust me when I tell you that you can’t go further,” he said.
Rei met his gaze, her eyes a blend of determination and understanding. She knew the stakes were high, and the weight of Ryo's words rested heavily on her heart. Yet, the thought of staying behind while he faced the dangers alone was equally distressing. "I promise I’ll try, but you need to promise me something too." Ryo raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Promise me that you'll trust me to have your back," she continued. "We're stronger together, we always have been.”
Ryo smiled, a warmth spreading through him at her words. "I promise," he replied, sealing their pact with a gentle kiss.